


Armored Child

by sucodelaranja



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Compliant, Child Soldiers, Friendship, Gen, Missing Scene, Multi, POV Reiner Braun, Reiner Braun-centric, Slice of Life, Spoilers, War, manga spoilers!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sucodelaranja/pseuds/sucodelaranja
Summary: Still a child, Reiner decides to become a warrior to reunite his family and bring hapiness to his mother. In his life, he faces many hardships and discovers the cruel truth of this world.
Relationships: Gabi Braun & Reiner Braun, Reiner Braun & Bertolt Hoover, Reiner Braun & Bertolt Hoover & Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun & Everyone, Reiner Braun & Karina Braun, Reiner Braun & Pieck Finger, Reiner Braun & Porco Galliard
Comments: 7
Kudos: 19





	1. Conceiving

In the september 3rd, year 816, in the internment zone of Liberio, the youngest child of the Braun family was born, Karina, from Eliza and Max Braun. She was born with fair hair, so different from her parents, but just like her older brother. Her siblings, Paul and Hanz, were amazed with their younger sister, but sad because they couldn't hold her yet.

"Leave this for tomorrow" said Max, patting his sons heads, "your mother needs the rest".

Eliza smiled at her husband while he took the boys, who still complained, away, and the midwife that helped with the delivery checked mother's and child's health. She aways wanted to have a baby girl, and was happier than anybody to finally be able to have Karina in her arms. She could teach her so much: how to get dressed, how to sing, how to sew and be an adorable young lady...

"You are special, my daugther", said Eliza while she kissed her baby's forehead, " you deserve the world"

But, even while she said that, she already knew this wasn't true. They were eldians, and would never deserve more than the humblest existence. But, even than, she prayed and asked, to whomever that was looking for them, that her daugther could at least dream of having a better life.

Eliza held her daugther and, secretly, wished she hadn't been born.

*********

Karina grew up locked inside the walls of Liberio. Since early, she learned about the sins her ancestors commited and about the fear they brought to other people and races from across the world. About how she, her family and all other eldians were nothing but monsters in human skin. About how the Great Nation of Marley defeated the hateful king Fritz, that had abandoned them and, defeated, had flew to a far away island with only the cruelest eldians. The Nation of Marley were merciful to let the rest of them live in their land, even with their tainted past. All they could do was be thankful for still being alive.

And she hated her blood.

She hated to be herself.

When she walked downstreet, people spat on her. Trew garbage. And Karina knew she deserved it. All eldians deserved to be treated like that. Compared to everything their ancestors had done, their suffering would never be enought to pay for all the barbarity comitted by the Eldian Empire. There was just too much blood in their hands.

But, still, she dreamed. She wished more than anything to be able to live without having to carry the weight of ancient sins. She dreamed to be able to walk around the world without having o fear for her own life. Wished to not be surrounded by those damned walls. To not being born eldian.

*********

In 832, Max Braun’s body was found mutilated in a hole outside of the internment zone. The security officers said he probably left the walls with no permition, resulting in his unforeseen death. None of the members of the family questioned this conclusion.

After their father death, the Braun siblings had to start working to provide for their mother and sustain the house. Paul Braun, the oldest, inherited his father’s shoe store, while Hanz, the middle sibling, became a construction helper. Karina, instead, got word about a marleyan restaurant that acepted eldians employees. Even if there were other options of work inside the zone, Karina couldn’t resist the possibility of working in the outside world. She asked permission to leave Liberio and, after a quick interview, got the chance to work outside with 16 years.

After some months in the new job, the restaurant owner, a marleyan cook, started to show interest in her. At the beginning, he approached her slowly, saying that it didn’t mattered if she was eldian or not, if it was a forbidden relationship or not, that all that mattered was what he felt fot her. And Karina tried to resist at first, but, in the end, she ended up believing his words. Or rather, she wanted to believe that what existed between the two of them was real, that perhaps she had a chance of leaving the ghettos and finally being able to live a decent life with the man she loved. They became lovers and, for a while, this was Karina’s reality. But then, she got pregnant.

When Karina discovered the pregnancy, she tought it would guarantee her own future. She believed her lover would never accept to see his own child grow up locked in Liberio, and that she, as the mother, would too be saved from the confinement of the walls. With this belief, Karina told her lover about the pregnancy.

There is nothing more impactful than to see your world crumble in front of your eyes. When Karina announced the pregnancy, she was immediately rejected, fired and humiliated. Everything she believed to be real was nothing but a huge pile of lies. She knew she had been used, and now expected a bastard kid, had no job, had nothing at all. Once there was hope in her heart, but now there was nothing but sadness and a bitterness so deep that it tainted her vision red. She went back home, abandoned, after losing everything.


	2. Gestation

When Karina returned to Liberio, she coudn’t think about anything at all. Her mind refused to accept the situation she was in, and she walked back to the Internment Zone as a machine, automatically.

When she got home, she sat on the couch, facing nothing at all, as a statue. All she could do was breathe.

Eliza, hearing the door’s noise, went to the living room and found her daugther in that awful state. Worried, she tried to discover what was wrong and if there was anything she could do to help.

"Karina?"there was no answer "Sweetheart, what is the matter?" she kneeled and put her hands in her daughter’s face, checking her temperature "Did something happened?"

Karina’s glassy eyes, that until then didn’t actually see anything, finally noticed the presence of her mother and, when she understood the question, she started to cry, hugging Eliza in her anguish.

"Mother, please, help! I don’t know what to do! I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry!"

Without understanding, Eliza held her daughter while she cried in her arms. They both slipped to the floor, where they stayed for a few minutes until Karina calmed down. When her hiccups stopped, Eliza asked again about what had happened and, after a little bit of hesitation, Karina told her everything. She told her mother about her job, about her marleyan lover and about the child she now carried.

Eliza heard everything with a calm she didn’t feel. To have a child unwed was always a problem. Karina problably woundn’t be able to get married in the future, meaning that hers and the baby’s expenses would be her own responsability, and she was still too young to get a decent job, not to mention she was a woman. An eldian woman. What scared Eliza the most, however, was the fact that the child had a marleyan father.

Throughout her life, she heard many times about lovers, with only one of them of eldian ancestry, that had been killed when their relationship was discovered. If they had offspring, the child would be sent to a distant internment zone, and the parents would be executed to serve as an exemple.

And she couldn’t let this happen with Karina. She would do everything to ensure her daugther’s safety. Eliza took a deep breathe and, with great seriousness, asked: 

"Did you tell this to anyone?", with her eyes still full of tears, Karina shook her head.

'One less problem' thought Eliza, sighing relieved. She stroked her daughter’s hair, thinking about the future that awaited their family.

"You need to promise me that you will never tell this to anyone. Not even your brothers... I swear we are all going to help you. Let’s go through this together."

*********

When her brothers came back home, Karina told them, along with her mother, about the pregnancy. She said she didn’t know who the father was, and didn’t explain what she meant with this. After the initial shock, Paul and Hanz promised they would help their little sister with whatever was necessary, be it money, a place to live or to take care of the child when required.

But, during the following months, while the pregnancy progressed, they all noticed a great change in Karina. She almost never smiled and spent most of her time alone, despite her family’s protests. She was way too melancholic and depressed, and none of the others knew what to do to improve her mood.

And then, on the 1st of August, year 833, her son was born. The delivery was easy and happened in the guetto’s hospital, with mother and child healthy. The one who named the boy was his grandmother: Reiner, a homage to a friend that saved her life when she was a child.

At first, Karina refused to look at her own son, fixing her eyes at a window in the room. But Eliza, with the boy nested in her arms, convinced her to do so.

"We are going to take care of this child, whether you want to or not, but I believe it will be easier to all of us if you manage to accept him. He is part of our family, and he is your son. Are you going to abandon him too?"

And, when she heard this words, the fury that was dormant in her chest pulsed again. Karina turned to her mother, who passed the baby into her arms. When she held Reiner for the first time, a mix of pride and hate filled her when she saw the boy’s face. He had fair hair, just like her. She held him and breastfed him, firmly and with care, like any other mother would.


	3. Childhood

After Reiner’s birth, Karina dedicaded herself to take care of the baby with her mother’s help. They went back home after a few days in the hospital and rebuilt their lifes to accommodate the child. Her brothers helped financially. Paul and Hanz bought food, paid the bills and assisted with the baby’s needs, but, unfortunately, they couldn’t do much more, since neither of them lived in the family’s house anymore. In terms of clothing, Karina and Eliza tried to reuse the baby clothes they already had at hand, mending the necessary and making new ones if possible, but some pieces needed to be purchased from neightbors or in small shops.

Eliza did what she could to help with the care of her grandson. The first months of a child’s life were the hardest to the parents, especially if it was the firstborn. Especially if it was a single mom. If Karina was too tired, or needed to leave the house for some reason, or when Eliza noticed her bad spirits, she took care of the boy alone. However, as the months went by, Karina started to try less and less to exercise her role as a mother, one that was filled more and more by Eliza. But she didn’t feel pressured by it, and didn’t feel as if that responsability had been pushed at her. She took care of the boy, played with him, not out of obligation, but because of the affection she felt for him. She loved Reiner, and Eliza knew her daugther only cared for Reiner because it was expected of her and, not wanting to worsen her mood, she completely assumed the role of caregiver.

*********

For a while, Karina thought that caring for her son would provide some form of distraction, but her own feelings of dejection and frustration started to weight in her mind, until she became too exhausted to even look at Reiner. She noticed that her role in the house became nothing more than doing a bit of the housework, while her mother cared for Reiner. And, honestly, she didn’t care. She even preferred things to stay that way. It was comfortable to Karina not having to think about how much her live had changed and, if she put a bit of effort in it, she could imagine that everything was still the same, that her father was still alive, that her brothers were still by her side, and that Reiner didn’t existed. It was a futile solace, but was all she had.

The only thing that actually bothered Karina was depending so much on Paul and Hanz. While storing washed clothes in her bedroom drawers, Karina realized that, even if she was in a nice spot at that moment, it woundn’t last forever. Paul and Hanz managed to help at that point in time, but they both could, in the future, wish to form a family, limiting the help they could give her. Karina felt powerless, with no way out, not knowing what to do. She didn’t want to be a dead weight and she wished, more than anything, to be able to control the reins of her own life. And, with the clean clothes in her hands, Karina had an idea, and she smiled. With energy she hadn’t shown in a long time, she screamed:

"Mom! Where are you?"

"In the living room." Karina ran and found her mother with Reiner sleeping in her arms. Upon seeing her euphoric daughter arriving, Eliza cocked her head, curious "Did something happened?"

Karina showed her the embroidered blouse she was holding "What if I worked as a seamstress? I’m very good at embroidery, and I can patch and sew new pieces for whoever needs them!" she was determined to make it through. If she could do it, she would be able to provide for her mother and son. But, for this to work, she would need Eliza's help. At least, at the beginning "So? What do you think? We could manage to live by ourselves."

"...Yes, that's true, but... I don't think you would get enough money to all of us only in the internment zone." and added, gently "As a seamstress, you would have to work outside of the walls too."

Karina rolled her eyes "Yeah, I know, but at least I'll be able to do something for you two" she gestured vaguely at Eliza and Reiner "I'm asking you only because you know how to sew much better than me, and I’ll probably need your help at the beginning." she said with conviction "That’s it, I think? Can you help me?"

During these past few months, what worried Eliza the most was Karina becoming extremely passive and indifferent to everything around her. She was afraid that this would be her daughter's posture from then on, so to see her taking action and looking for activity was a balm for her worries. If her work started to become too much for Karina to take, they could search for another way, togethe but, until then, she would support Karina’s decisions. She smiled, and said:

"Sure. It appears to be an excellent idea."

From then on, Karina started to look for work in the neighborhood and, after asking for permission, outside of the walls. She worked nonstop and, when the work was too much for her too complicated, Eliza would help. The more she did, the more she learned however, until the day came when she didn't have to ask for her mother's help anymore. She got out every day looking for things to do, striving to provide for her child and mother, arriving home late and working until dawn. As time passed, Eliza realized that it was, indeed, way too much. Karina spent all of her time working, without spending any of it with her family. She was still too young to be responsible for the whole house and she shouldn't have to try so hard, but Karina refused to stop. To her, working was also a distraction. Finally she had found a way to take responsibility for her family, to be independent and, in a certain way, to ignore those who she didn't want to see.

With nothing else to do, Eliza sadly accepted her daughter's choices. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she knew that what Karina was doing was for the best, not only for her own peace of mind, but also for Reiner’s well being and, at that moment, it was him who mattered most to Eliza.

And so, the years passed by, and Reiner grew up being raised by his grandmother.

*********

"... then, the eldian devils surrounded the remaining marleyan survivors and used their titans to end them all! Isn’t that right, grandma?"

"It’s exactly right, Reiner!" Eliza stroked the boy's blond hair, who smiled from ear to ear "You are a really smart boy... What about then? What happened next?" They were going back home from school, and Reiner was telling her what he had learned that day. He laughed, holding hands with his grandmother, always happy to be acknowledged.

"That was all miss Marga taught us today... Ian wouldn't stop talking, so we couldn't finish the story" he said, a little annoyed. He always liked to hear them to the end.

Eliza laughed at her grandson's expression "I see. Are you and Ian friends?"

"Not actually. He keeps screaming all the time, and his other friends don't like me at all."

She shrugged "I suppose that’s just how life is. Not everyone can get along." they kept walking in silence until they arrived at the gates of Liberio. An eldian with a red armband was crossing to the other side. They both spent a few seconds admiring the view outside the ghettos, looking at the marleyan city, but soon continued on their way. After a few moments of silence, Reiner asked:

"Grandma, do you think mom will be home tomorrow?"

Eliza said nothing at first. The next evening, the Braun family would reunite in her house to celebrate Reiner's 5th birthday. They would all dinner together, but she wasn’t sure if Karina would be there or not. Her daughter woundn’t stop working even to celebrate her own son's birthday. Eliza had already talked to her and asked her to come, but she hadn’t received a straight answer, and Reiner, still a child, knew there was something wrong with the way his mother treated him.

"She seems always so sad... Why is she like this, grandma?"

Eliza didn’t know what to say.

*********

"Hi, uncle Paul! Hi, auntie Eva!" Reiner opened the door for his uncles, the last to arrive for the dinner. He was very agitated, happy to be with his family for his birthday "Grandma is in the living room with mom and uncle Hanz."

"Is Karina here?" exclaimed Paul, surprised, and soon received an elbow from his wife Eva "Ow! I mean, of course she is! Lets get in?"

They went into the living room, where they met with the rest of the family. Paul carefully helped his wife to sit down, since she was pregnant with their first child. Karina and Eliza, who were both talking with Hanz, turned to greet them. Reiner, in turn, was too happy to see that his mother was with him in that special night. He almost never talked to her at all, and, at that moment, she simply being there already warmed his heart. After his uncles were already seated at the table, he excused himself and went to play with his gifts. Karina watched him with indifference, and Eliza with affection.

"He's grown so much already," said Eva, with a caring expression. Five years earlier, she was already acquainted with the Braun family "Seems like it was just yesterday that he was that cute little baby."

"I could swear it was!" replied Eliza. She was very fond of her grandson and wanted to see the kind person he would become when he got older. Karina, in turn, kept her toughts to herself "I can't believe he already has 5 years on his back. If he keeps this pace, soon he’ll become an old man!"

"No need for such a hurry, mom... So we have another little mr. Braun..." Hanz laughed, but he was thoughtful. The future that awaited the eldian people was uncertain. A few years earlier, a rebellion had been discovered within Liberio, and, recently, Marley's army was beginning to make plans to invade the walls in Paradis. The world his nephew would have to face already seemed so much more insane than the one he knew. It was hard to even think about it, and he balanced his head. That was supoused to be a good night "But anyway, did you hear about the Evans? It seems like all of them were bedrriden because of the flu."

"I heard that Mrs. Brunet got sick too," said Paul, "but it doesn't seem like it’s something worth of worrying about. And also ..."

And so the night went on, with the small celebration of Reiner Braun's birthday coming to an end. His uncles and aunt hugged him and said goodbye, and when it was time for Reiner to go to bed, Karina suddently stopped him. Her attitude surprised both him and his grandmother. Karina stood in front of her son for a few seconds, as if she didn’t know for sure what she wanted to do, not quite sure what actions to take. She looked confused.

Feeling his mother's anguish, Reiner called her as gently as he could:

"Mother?" no reply. He tried again "Mom, you…"

Karina suddenly kneeled in front of Reiner, wrapping her arms around her son, hugging him. At first, he had no reaction, but, in the end, he hugged her back, even if with a little hesitation.

"You are a good boy."

Karina released him and stroked his hair with a small smile on her lips. She got up, said goodbye to her mother and went to her room. Reiner and Eliza were left alone and, after the initial shock, they smiled at each other. Eliza accompanied Reiner to his room and put him to bed. They were happy. It seemed that the relationship between the three had finally started to improve. 

*********

The illness that had plagued the Evans family and Mrs. Brunet was not just the flu. Within a few weeks, an epidemic took over Liberio, leaving several dead and, in those who survived, severe side effects.

Eliza Braun fell ill. The disease was slowly taking over her body. First cough, tiredness and then prostration. She stayed in bed for several months, withering slowly. It were very difficult months, especially for Karina and Reiner, who were there with her all the time. When she finally passed away, Eliza left the house for the two of them. It had already been agreed between the three siblings that the ownership of the house would go to Karina. The whole family mourned the loss of Eliza, who was very dear to everyone.

Still mourning the loss of her mother, Karina had no choice but to establish a closer relationship with her son, as there was no one else to look after him. On the days when he had no class, she started to take him with her when she went looking for work. And so, slowly but surely, the frustration and anguish that were latent in her heart grew and grew, because whenever she looked at Reiner's face, she remembered everything that she could not have and become because of the boy's existence.

All the freedom and relief that her work brought her no longer existed. In addition to having to strive and try her damn hardest to sew everything she could, at all the time she had, she also needed to take care of Reiner's basic needs, which were previously carried out by her mother .

And then, finally, without realizing it, her heart made a choice.

One night, when the two were in Reiner's room after a very busy day, she took her son on her lap and told him about his origins. About his marleyan father and all the prohibitions that prevented them from being together. She said that, even far away from his family, his loving father was proud of his son and that what he wanted the most was the possibility of finally reuniting with Karina and Reiner. She said that what would make her the happiest would be to finally be able to be together with the man she loved.

Reiner, listening carefully, realized that ,now more than ever, he was able to understand his mother a little more. And, because of that, he made up his mind.

"If you manage to get together with my dad, will you be happier?"

"I will."

"Promise?"

"... I do."


	4. Friendships I

Reiner asked his mother to help him apply to become a warrior candidate, and Karina agreed. She even congratulated her son for his bravery and for having such a good idea. When registration began later that year, Karina left the house, spent the entire day out and returned at night with a permission for Reiner to leave the Internment Zone. They both went to the boy's room and, with him on her lap, Karina explained what the next day would be like.

"Tomorrow, I will take you to the gates, where we will meet the army instructor and the other participants" she said "He will take you all to the HQ and you will be evaluated to find out which one deserves the most to become an honorary marleyan."

"Are we going to go outside the walls?" he seemed worried "Are you going to go with me?"

"It'll be just for a while, so don't worry. I already told you, didn't I? We can't get out of here. We are too dangerous to be on the loose. We are all cursed..."

Karina paused, and looked out the window wistfully "But if we become honorary marleyans, we will become better than all other eldians... And that depends only on you, my son."

"Yeah, I know... But can you go outside with me?"

"No, but I will be with you for as long as I can" she stroked his hair "You know, if you become a warrior, I'm sure I'll be able to get out of the internment zone whenever I want. And then, we will finally be able to meet your father. He's still waiting for us... He's hoping so badly for you to pass the tests tomorrow."

"Really?" when he heard this, Reiner's heart skipped a beat. If even his father was counting on him, there was nothing he could do but win.

"I will make you two proud, mom! I promise!"

*********

The next day, Reiner woke up early, anxious to the beginning of the training. He took a quick shower and put on the uniform provided by the marleyan army. He had never worn a uniform before, and he was happy to have the chance to prove his worth to Marley and show that he and his family were more than just eldian devils.

He didn't know how much time the training would take, but while he was on it, he wouldn't be able to go to school anymore. He would miss his friends and his teacher's stories, but he knew that, in the end, what he was doing would be worth it. Not only for him, but also for all the eldians of the world.

He went down to the kitchen and, after a quick breakfast, he and his mother went out together towards the gates of Liberio. As they walked, the other ghetto residents, seeing Reiner's uniform, congratulated him for his courage and dedication.

"What a cute boy! Do you want to become a warrior? Good luck, little one!"

"Fight for us, kid! We are rooting for you!"

"I know you can do it!"

Reiner, after all these compliments, became very shy and got even closer to his mother, hiding behind her skirt. Karina and the others laughed softly at his reaction, but said nothing to not make him even more uncomfortable. When the two said their goodbyes and continued on their way, Reiner still had a blush on his cheeks and was holding tightly his mother's hand. Karina had a neutral expression when she looked at her son, but she ran her free hand through her own hair and said:

"See, Reiner? Those who become warriors are seen as heroes by other people. You want that too, don't you?"

When they reached their destination, they saw a large group of children waiting by the gates. They were showing their passes to the gatekeepers and, on the other side, were introducing themselves to a man who appeared to be part of the army. He, in turn, checked the children's names on the clipboard he held.

Karina took the pass from her bag and handed it to Reiner. She knelt in front of him, fixing the collar of his uniform.

"Remember to always answer the instructor correctly."

"I will, mom..."

"And prove that you are trustworthy and that you are taking this with extreme seriousness."

"Ok..."

"And always show how much you want to serve Marley."

"I will."

Karina stopped and smiled softly. She touched Reiner's cheeks.

"Do your best. I know you can do it."

"...I will try."

He was afraid. He didn't want to admit it, but he was terrified of what was about to come. He wanted a hug from his mother, like the ones his grandma Eliza gave him, but Karina stood up to leave, only waving as a goodbye to her son.

When his mother left, Reiner, still nervous, went to be with the group of children. There was no one he knew, and he felt a little out of place. He had to wait for a while and, when his turn came, he presented his pass to the gatekeepers and went through the gates.

The other side of the walls was beautiful. The first time he left Liberio with his mother, that was the first thing he noticed. The houses were colorful, and the clothes that people wore were fancy. He was always amazed to see the city. How nice it would be to live in that place. Was this the life that awaited him? Was his father there, cheering for him? He stood there, enjoying the place and the view, when a voice called him:

"Hey, you! What are you doing looking at nothing? Get in line now!"

"Ah! Y-yes, sir!"

Reiner introduced himself, ashamed, and then went to stay with the others. The man who had caught him, commander Theo Magath, after all the participants were present, explained that they would be taken to Marley's army headquarters, where tests and assessments would be carried out to determine which of them would become candidates. He made it clear that this meeting at the gates would only take place on the first day and that, in the following weeks, they would be punctually awaited at HQ. He also made it clear that this was only the first stage of a much more complex selection process.

After that, he guided all the children to the HQ. As they passed through the Marley streets, Reiner noticed that the people around him did not seem to be so disgusted by the presence of eldians in their city. Yes, they seemed unhappy about having to accept them near their homes, but the level of contempt seemed much lower than what was directed at him when he left with his mother.

Reiner had never left the internment zone without feeling the hatred towards the eldians. During every second he spent outside the ghettos, it seemed that people insisted on constantly reminding him of his place in the world. So, coming out of the walls with a certain normality was good. For a few minutes, at least, he didn't had to hear insults, bad words, or anything at all. As if he were a person worthy of respect.

'Is this how it will always be if I become a warrior?' he thought 'Was this freedom?' and that made him even more determined.

'I have to make it! No ... I'll make it! ' he swore, not only for himself, but also for his entire family.

*********

He was failing. This was extremely obvious, even to Reiner. All the other kids were so talented and athletic, and he was having trouble assembling a simple weapon. Where did each piece belong? He had no idea! How did that girl know how to fight so well? How could that boy be so fast? Reiner did not know and did not understand. Why was he not making it? It wasn't fair! Why him, who had so much desire, so much determination!

It was clear that if he didn't change anything, he would not be chosen and his mother's dream would not come true. So he worked hard and did his best to prove his worth. Until his muscles screamed in pain, until the point where he couldn't breathe anymore. He kept going, because no pain outweighed his desire to have a family. He knew that if the army gave him a chance, he would be able to prove himself, but for that to happen, he would have to deserve that chance. So he tried, he fell, he got up and persisted.

*********

At the end of the first day of training, Reiner returned to the zone alone and tired. He couldn't feel his legs, and he couldn't think out of exhaustion. When he got home, he didn't even talk to his mother. He just wished her good night and went straight to bed.

Already lying down, he thought a bit more about his day. The training had been the most challenging thing he had ever done. From what he'd seen, he wasn't at the bottom of his group, but he was far from being the best. He knew that many of the children would give up after the first day. Many hadn't manage to complete all of their activities. He basically couldn't move himself because of the pain. Still, he knew he had to keep trying. If he showed to the army how much he wanted this, he would be chosen. Reiner was sure of that.

And on the second day of training, Reiner went alone to the gates of Liberio.

*********

After a 2-hour run, Reiner staggered, completely worn out, to a tree in the HQ yard. He was barely able to stand and fell at the base of the tree with no energy left.

Over time, training had become easier, but he always ended up barely funtional after a running session. He had realized that the evaluations were taking much longer than he had imagined. After about a month, more than half of the original participants had already given up. The favorites had also been determined, and Reiner was still not one of them. But there was no guarantee. The scores of all of them changed daily, and, because of that, Reiner always tried to do his best. But he knew that it might still not be enough. If things went on like this...

"Hi."

Reiner was startled and looked at the direction of the voice. A boy with a long face and green eyes was sitting beside him at the base of the tree. He was also sweaty and out of breath. Reiner knew him. He was the boy who had incredibly good aim. In fact, all of his performances were excellent. He could do anything he was asked to do after a few attempts. He was a favorite to become a candidate.

"Hi." Reiner said, with no good spirits. He had no reason to be talking to a competitor. In a way, they could even be considered enemies.

The boy seemed to notice Reiner's bad mood, but decided to keep the conversation going "...You are Reiner Braun, aren't you?"

'Oh!' this caught Reiner of guard. He turned to the boy with an astonished face.

"How do you know my name?"

"...I saw you going back home one day." he smiled "We are basically neighbors."

"Oh! I see..." Reiner felt like a fool. The boy was just trying to be nice. He shouldn't have reacted with such animosity. He then decided to be a little more friendly.

"And are you're... Bertolt?"

Bertolt's face lit up and he smiled from ear to ear.

"That's right! Do you want to walk to training with me tomorrow?"

"Sure! ...We can come back together today too ..."

It was the first and the greatest friendship that Reiner made during the training. And, even with the great difference in skill between the two of them, they started to be seen always together. The two boys became easily attached to each other. They were inseparable. They always went out and came home in each other's company, talking about the day, about their families and, when they could, they played together. Neither of them had many toys, but when they put their collections together, they had enough to have a great adventure. They often received invitations to dinner and sleep at each other's places. They became best friends.

*********

One night, the two were in their pajamas in Bertolt's room, almost at bedtime. Mr. Hoover, a very tall man with blond hair and a frail appearance, appeared to wish the two boys good night.

"Do you need anything else?"

"We're fine. Good night, dad."

"Good night, Mr. Hoover."

"See you tomorrow, Bertolt, Reiner. Sleep well."

He coughed with as little noise as possible and then closed the door, leaving the two friends alone.

Bertolt looked at his father with a little concern, but soon returned his attention to his toys. Reiner had realized that his friend lived alone with his father, and he couldn't contain his curiosity.

"What happened to your mother?"

Bertolt, who was playing with his favorite toy, a little soldier who made a pair with another one who belonged to Reiner, suddenly became sad. He dropped the toy, no longer wanting to play.

"She died... not too long ago..."

"Oh..." Reiner knew what loss was. His grandmother Eliza, the closest person he had, was gone too, and left a hole in his heart. And he already knew how badly it hurt. And so, he was sad for his friend too. He didn't want Bertolt to have to feel that pain.

"My grandma died too. She got sick and was bedridden for many months."

Bertolt's expression closed and he turned his head to Reiner seriously.

"But how can it be? This is exactly what happened to my mother!"

The two were quite surprised by this discovery and, after checking the period, they discovered that Reiner's grandmother and Bertolt's mother died approximately at the same time, due to an epidemic that had appeared in Liberio.

"My dad got sick too," Bertolt said sadly, hugging his knees "He can't do the same things he used to do anymore, and he coughs all the time. I'm terrified that something will happen to him..." he raised his head and looked at Reiner, determination in his eyes.

"If I become a warrior, he will receive treatment. I just want my father to be well!"

Even with all his fierceness, tears started to form in Bertolt's eyes and he began to sob, and Reiner promptly wrapped his arms around him. They stayed like that for a while, until Bertolt pulled away and wiped his eyes. He was still sad, but ,at the same time, he was happy to having shared with Reiner that part of his life.

"But what about you?" he asked his friend "What happened to your father?"

Upon hearing this, Reiner froze. He knew he couldn't tell Bertolt about his marleyan father. His mother asked him to keep it a secret, but he didn't want to lie to Bertolt.

"I... do 't know where he is..."

"Oh..."

"But that's why I want to become a warrior! I know that when I do, I will finally be able to meet with my father. And together, we will save the world from the devils of Paradis!"

Reiner made a pose to show his strength and determination, flexing his little arms, and Bertolt started to laugh.

"Stop it! You look ridiculous!"

After that, the two laughed, and started to play and fight together. Then, they continued the adventure of their soldiers and went to sleep. The next morning's training promised to be as challenging as the other days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart- https://twitter.com/bdurzap/status/1369028428901593093/photo/1
> 
> https://twitter.com/bdurzap/status/1369959709101424643/photo/1


	5. Friendships II

It was a rainy day, and the city was still dark because of the heavy clouds that hovered over it. The streetlights were still lit because of the gloom, and Reiner and Bertolt were running towards the HQ for another day of training. They laughed together, with no umbrella, while stepping in puddles to try to throw water at each other.

They arrived at the base with their clothes soaked, drops of water still dripping from their hair. They had been instructed, since the first day of training, to always cherish and preserve their uniform, but, as far as they could see, several other children had also arrived with wet clothes.

"At least the commander won't complain with just the two of us," said Reiner, relieved, as he put his bag in his locker. He hadn't attracted Magath's attention yet, and he wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Yes," said Bertolt, who also kept his belongings, while looking at the remaining participants. After three months of training, there were only about 30 of the more than 100 original children, and the warrior candidates would be chosen soon. This meant that a small difference in their score could make a huge difference at the big moment. He knew that his position was basically guaranteed, but he was not sure about Reiner's. Bertolt was not ready to say goodbye to his friend.

At that moment, a loud voice reverberated through the HQ walls.

"Attention! Assume position!" commander Magath shouted, imposing as ever.

All the children straightened up in the yard, lining up and showing all the respect due in front of the commander. Magath went down the stairs and walked to the group, inspecting them shortly thereafter. He walked slowly, assessing the situation with his intelligent eyes. Extremely pragmatic, he didn't seem surprised or disappointed by the condition of the uniforms.

Still, he said:

"It seems that you eldian vermins can not even keep yourselves clean. Do you want to go back to the dirt you belong to? Well, put on your physical activities uniform. Today, you are going to run in the mud. I'll meet you in the building's gate when you're ready. Then, we'll go to the main track. "

He left to his office, leaving them by theirselves, and the participants quickly went to their lockers to get dressed. To get ready to run in the main track, they had to change clothes, pick up and correctly assemble a shotgun and carry a heavy backpack with all the equipment and supplies that a marleyan soldier would need on the battlefield. It was a surprisingly complicated process, and many participants fumbled with the various steps required to get ready.

Reiner managed get ready relatively quickly and, along with Bertolt, decided to leave at once to wait for the others outside. Commander Magath normally didn't give to them such complicated activities without warning. Reiner knew this was a test. It was likely that the results of this examination were directly linked to the choice of future candidates, who were about to be appointed.

Reiner was elated. He had already managed to get ready with relative ease. If that was the criterion, he would probably be chosen! His dream was about to become true! He was almost making it!

In comparison, many children didn't even know exactly what they were doing and ended up losing parts of the shotgun and even crying of frustration. And, even if other participants wanted to help, they didn't do it because they knew they were in a competition. That was the unspoken rule between them.

"No, listen, this is not how you do it."

Reiner heard that voice and looked back.

"Here, you can't let the bolt loose. It's the most important part, this one... Give it to me, let me show you."

But Marcel Galliard was one of the few exceptions to this rule. Even though he was in a competition that would decide the future of his family, he still made great efforts to help those who needed it. He was a strong and intelligent boy, and everyone admired his selfless behavior.

Especially Reiner.

"Marcel, let's go. We're ready, and we'll end up being late for nothing."

His brother, Porco Galliard, was quite different however. He was serious and didn't talk to anyone but his brother. The two were always together, and Reiner was a little intimidated when they passed each other. It seemed that Porco saw no quality in Reiner, and that made him feel inferior.

"Ok, just a moment. Come with me, I'll show you how to do it."

The two brothers left accompanied by a tearful little boy carrying an incomplete shotgun, while Marcel gave tips on how it should be assembled.

Reiner admired Marcel a lot. The way he managed to put others above himself was incredible, and, beyond that, he was an extremely skilled person. He was a few years older than Reiner, but he was the kind of person he would like to become when he grew up.

"Reiner?" called Bertolt, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder to get his attention.

Reiner had been distracted and stopped halfway to watch the Galliard brothers interaction. He quickly tried to get Marcel out of his mind and concentrate on the task ahead.

"Sorry! I'm on my way."

*********

When they were all together at the gates, ready in the best way they had managed, Magath left his office upstairs with an older woman, who had a pencil and clipboard in hand. She had white hair in a bun and wrinkles on her face. She was very tall, thin and had a very serious expression. She was wearing a military uniform and a red armband.

Reiner's eyes widened. He glanced at Bertotl, and saw that his friend was also surprised, looking at him with eyes full of enthusiasm. A red armband! None of them had ever met anyone who used one! And if that woman was wearing a uniform, then... she must be a warrior!

Everyone knew about the warriors. It was impossible not to know. They were the heroes of all children in the ghettos, who fought and received the honor to proving the true value of mainland eldians. They were given special powers after training very hard and did everything they could to help their nation. Sometimes, their titans appeared in the newspapers, having won some important battle for Marley. Reiner, when his mother had already read the reports, cut out the images and kept them, using them as little dolls later. He had shown his collection to Bertolt, who, surprisingly, also had his own.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember the name or appearance of the warriors. He always skipped the headlines and looked only for images of the titans.

'What is her power?' thought Reiner, curiously. And he didn't seem to be the only one. The other children also seemed to have understood that this was a very important person.

"Hey, vermins?" shouted Magath, drawing the children's attention.

"Yes, sir!" they all responded immediately.

"...This is Mrs. Gisela Fassbinder, warchief of the Marley Warriors Unit and heir of the armored titan. Today, she is here to help me evaluate your performance to determine who are the ones more suitable and deserving of becoming a warrior candidate. "

And then, he explained what the criteria would be. A series of physical examinations would be carried out and, on the following day, a written test would be applied. Those with the best scores would be chosen and start a new type of training, more complex and exhausting than the onet they currently have. They would also receive yellow armbands, showing that they were just one step away from becoming honorary marleyans. And that only 5 out of the 30 remaining participants would be chosen.

'Only 5?' thought Reiner, startled. The other participants also looked surprised, but he tried to control himself. All he had to do was show his willingness and determination to serve Marley, and they would allow him to prove his worth.

*********

As much as he tried, Reiner was not doing well in evaluations. He failed to excel in the footrace, and Marcel Galliard was chosen as a warrior candidate.

When they had to show their prowess in handling guns, he missed almost all of his shots, and Bertotl Hoover, who hit all of his, was chosen as a warrior candidate.

In hand-to-hand combat, he was defeated with unbelievable speed by a girl who didn't interact with anyone. Annie Leonhart was chosen as a warrior candidate.

On the ground, defeated, Reiner was so frustrated that his eyes filled with tears. After all the effort he had made... Was it all in vain? There were only two more people to be choosen, and neither Magath nor Mrs. Fassbinder seemed to have been impressed by his skills. If he didn't change something soon, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his dream. And so, on the floor, Reiner wept in despair.

*********

"You shouldn't worry so much..." said Bertolt, trying to cheer Reiner up. "You still have the written test tomorrow. You still have a chance to pass if you do it right."

The two were returning to the internment zone. Reiner was shaken, ashamed of his performance, especially when compared to Bertolt. The candidates who were chosen, at the end of the day, had already received their yellow armbands, and Bertolt was extremelly excited to show it to his father. When they reached the gate, he said his goodbyes to Reiner:

"I have to go find my dad in his job. See you tomorrow."

"Okay..." seeing how his friend was crestfallen, Bertolt took his hands in order to calm him down, and said:

"Reiner, you can't stay like this! I'm sure you can still make it! Trust me! You just need to give your all tomorrow! But you can't just give up and be sorry now!"

Reiner looked at his friend, still in tears, wiped his face and offered him a small smile.

"Ok... right, I..." he tried to find the right words "I'm going to do my best."

Bertolt smiled and gave his friend a hug.

"Now I really have to go. See you!" he said goodbye and ran away, leaving Reiner alone in front of the gates.

"Bye..."

He was still feeling bad, but he knew that his friend was right. He had to try his hardest tomorrow or, regardless of the outcome, it would all have been worthless.

He started to walk, ready to go home, when he saw the girl who had defeated him in hand-to-hand combat pass through the gates accompanied by a man. Reiner stopped on the street to see them better. He knew almost nothing about that girl, much less about that man who appeared to be her father. But what was her name again? She was so closed and aloof... It didn't seem like any of the other participants knew anything about her personal life. Still, Reiner was curious. Those techniques she had used were incredible. Where had she-

"LOOK OUT!!!" a shout from behind Reiner. He turned and -

The pain was instantaneous. Reiner felt that he had been hit by something, but he was not sure by what. In a second, he was looking at that girl - Annie! Now he remembered her name - and the next, he was looking up at the sky, lying down in the street. Suddenly, several people began to appear in his sight, seeming concerned.

"What happened? Is he okay?" a woman's voice shouted.

"He just stood in front of my bicycle! He didn't move! It wasn't my fault!" it sounded like a boy's voice.

"Did he die? Did he hit his head?" a... child?

"Be quiet, all of you!" the man who was accompanying Annie shouted "Get away from him and make room!"

Reiner was a little confused, but he was grateful that he was no longer surrounded by that crowd. The man touched Reiner's head lightly, who moaned softly in pain.

"Can you hear me?" he asked in a low voice "What's your name?"

"Ah..." his head was throbbing, but he managed to reply "Reiner Braun... and what's yours, sir?"

"You can call me Mr. Leonhart" he looked at the boy, seriously "Can you get up?"

With a little effort, Reiner was able to sit down with the help and support of Mr. Leonhart. But then he moaned again in pain, and when he looked, he saw that his knee was all flayed. The man continued to examine both of his injuries.

"Hmm, it looks like the cut on your head is nothing to worry about, but your knee ineeds a bit more care... I'm taking you to the hospital." he said decidedly.

Reiner knew it was important to go to the hospital - imagine when he told Bertolt what had happened! - but he wanted to go home as soon as possible to get prepared for the next day's written exams.

"Thank you, Mr. Leonhart, but I can already get home. My mother will be able to take care of my knee."

Reiner got up with some difficulty, thanked everyone for their concern and started to hobble back home. Mr. Leonhart sighed, stood up, walked over to Reiner and knelt in front of him.

"Let me take you home, then. It'll be quicker for you and it won't bother us. Isn't that right, Annie?"

The girl, who had been silent all this time, did not answer her father's question, but she looked quite upset. He looked at Reiner again, and said:

"Come. I'll give you a piggyback."

Reiner wanted to refuse, but he knew he would actually get home faster if he accepted that kindness. So he slowly climbed onto Mr. Leonhart's back, who started to walk and ask for directions.

As they walked, Reiner was quite ashamed to be seen that way by other people, and he felt his eyes filling with tears. He hid his face in Mr. Leonhart's shirt, while Annie silently watched him.

When they arrived at Reiner's house, Karina answered the door and was surprised to see her son in that situation.

"What happened? My son, what happened with you?"

Mr. Leonhart put Reiner on the floor, who hobbled into the house.

"He was hit by a bicycle. He needs bandages on his face and knee. Other than that, he's fine."

Karina helped Reiner to sit in a chair and then turned and thanked the man who had brought her son home.

"Thank you so much for bringing him here, mister...?"

"Leonhart, and you're welcome '" he removed his beret, greeting Karina "Good evening, Mrs. Braun. Let's go, Annie"

The girl turned to follow her father, but, before she left, she waved slightly at Reiner, who, surprised, waved back at her. When the two were gone, Karina treated Reiner's injuries, who ate his dinner while his mother told him about how he should be more careful on the streets so that this type of accident would not happen again.

*********

Reiner went to sleep thinking about how nice the eldians who lived in the ghettos were. He had his family, Bertolt, the heroic warriors, Mr. Leonhart and Annie. They were all willing to help him. They did not deserve to live locked up inside the walls, he was sure of that.

'What did the demons of Paradis do to make us have to live like this?' and it was with that last thought that Reiner fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://twitter.com/bdurzap/status/1361307889080688640/photo/1


	6. Opportunity

The next day, Reiner left home much earlier. He was still limping because of yesterday's accident, but that didn't stop him from trying to run as fast as possible. He wanted to arrive at HQ soon so he wouldn't be late for the start of the tests. He was so nervous that his hands kept sweating and shaking. He didn't even wait for Bertolt and went straight to the gates of the internment zone. His mind was completely blank, except for that damned test that would determine his fate. Of what he would have to do to convince the evaluators that he was worthy to serve Marley.

When Reiner arrived at the building, he immediately went to the classroom, sat in his place and waited, trying to calm himself, biting his nails and reviewing everything he could write to prove his determination and loyalty. Still, nothing seemed to be enough. His own person didn't seem to be enough. The marleyans deserved only the best eldians to serve them, and he... was nothing but ordinary.

'It's all the devils' fault. They condemned all of us, good eldians, to live like this, confined and paying for the sins they committed. The Great Nation of Marley didn't even have to let us live. We are a danger to all of humanity. But even so, Marley was so merciful. The marleyans are like that. They are good people, just like my dad. If it weren't for that ban, if we weren't so dirty, my mom and I could live with him. I just want to do everything I can to ensure that my motherland thrives and is victorious. It deserves it. I need to exterminate all those damn devils on the island, which have brought so much fear and destruction to the rest of the world. I need to save everyone. '

And while he was thinking, his brain racing and imploding, Reiner didn't even notice the pass of time. The other children had already arrived and sat in their seats, and when commander Magath appeared with the tests, Reiner was still completely absorbed in his thoughts.

He started to write everything he felt, moved and with tears in his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, completing sheets and sheets of compliments to Marley and vows of loyalty. When he finished writing, he was exhausted, and his hand was sore. He handed his papers over to Magath, and left the building. He didn't know if he had succeeded or not, but at least he had done his best and, for now, that was enough.

He came home alone, unable to think of anything else.

*********

Over the next week, there were no activities for the participants. On that week, the evaluators gathered all the information from the months of training to choose which would be the other two warrior candidates, and this wait was turning out to be too much for Reiner.

"They could tell us the results at once," he commented as he kicked a ball to Bertolt. The two were playing in the street, just before sunset "At least I wouldn't have to be worried like this, waiting..."

"I think they try to make the decision as carefully as possible" replied Bertolt, while easily receiving the ball "and that's why it takes so long. It's very important for them to make the right choice." he said as he kicked the ball back to Reiner.

"Yeah, but that choice is important to me too..." he remembered that the chosen candidates had already had a small meeting in the previous days "Did they tell you anything? About the new training sessions, or something like that? Since you have already been chosen? "

Bertolt's eyebrows drew together, as if to try to remember "Only that they will start soon after the other two candidates are announced. The training, I mean..." he ran to get the ball, which had been kicked in the wrong direction by Reiner "Ah! And that we are going to meet two other older candidates?" he threw the ball to Reiner.

"For real?" Reiner managed to hold the ball, but did not throw it at Bertolt again "I didn't even know there were others..."

"I didn't know either. I think the army officers didn't said anything about them so that we could all be announced together... as a unit, I think..." Bertolt stood there, a little crestfallen.

Reiner looked at the beautiful afternoon sky, with its blue, orange and pink tones, wondering how his friend would become a hero. He laughed with himself, with a bit of envy. "Marley's new Warrior Unit? It sounds cool, doesn't it?"

For a while, Bertolt said nothing. He just stood there, looking at Reiner, who was lost in his own thoughts.

Finally, he said:

"Yeah, it sounds pretty cool..." he looked away, not meeting Reiner's face "I hope you can get in too..."

"Yeah..."

Silence.

"...Reiner?"

"Yes?"

Bertolt seemed to hesitate, but, in the end, he managed to force himself to speak "... if you can't get in" he said, very calmly "promise me that we will continue to be friends?"

Reiner didn't answer because he simply did not understand the question. Of course, they would remain friends. What did he mean by that?

"Bertolt?"

The boy fixed his eyes on the floor, trying to hide his face "It's just that... everyone says that candidates hardly have time to do what they like! That they have to travel, exercise and study all the time, and if you aren't there, how are we going to keep meeting each other? "

Reiner was silent, watching his friend wrap his arms around himself.

"I don't want to lose you."

Reiner stood there, gaping, touched by his words. He didn't know he meant so much to Bertolt. As much as he considered him his best friend, he still hadn't stopped to think about what it really meant. And it became more than clear to Reiner how important Bertolt was to him, too. He didn't want to be separeted from his friend. He didn't want to have to stop meeting Bertolt. He wanted to always be with him, helping and being helped in return. He dropped the ball, which he was still holding, went towards his friend and took his hands.

"You won't. I will always be by your side. No matter what. I promise."

The two continued to play with the ball, because, no matter what path the future took, that would be one of the last times that the two would play in the street together.

*********

And then, as if in the blink of an eye - much to Reiner's surprise - the day of the announcement of the results arrived. All the participants were gathered in HQ, uniformed and in line, with commander Magath, Mrs. Fassbinder and other marleyan officers in front of him. Magath had a clipboard in his hands, and, on a table behind him, were two yellow armbands. After exchanging a few quick words with Fassbinder, he started to speak:

"When your name is called, come forward" he looked at the clipboard "Annie Leonhart."

The serious girl stepped out of the queue where she was standing and placed herself in front of the commander.

"Bertolt Hoover."

Bertolt left Reiner's side, not without first giving him an encouraging smile, and went to stand beside Annie.

"Marcel Galliard."

The boy left his brother's side and went to join the others.

'Right. For now, he called only those who have already been chosen' thought Reiner. He was cold sweating, looking forward to what would come next, and Magath screams again.

"Porco Galliard."

'Oh great... Marcel's mean brother... Surely their family will have a much better chance of becoming honorary marleyans if their two children are candidates, ”Reiner thought, while Porco, with a proud stance, went to join the others.

There was only one more name to be announced. Reiner closed his eyes, begging heavens and earth for the result he desired.

"Reiner Braun."

The world stopped for Reiner, who stood like a statue, shocked. He could not believe it, and could hardly contain his smile, but military procedure required them all to behave decently, and Reiner didn't want to push his luck. He went to stand beside Porco, and avoided looking at Bertolt, but he couldn't wait to celebrate with his friend. He did his best to restrain himself, while commander Magath continued to speak, addressing the rest of the participants.

"To those who have not been chosen, if you are still at the right age, you, if you wish, can make another application next year." he then proceeded to address the candidates "To the new warrior candidates, you'll be here tomorrow morning to meet the other two candidates and receive new instructions. The real training start from now on. And I expect nothing more than best of you. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" they all responded vigorously.

Magath seemed satisfied, so he called "Fassbinder?"

The inheritor of the armored titan went to the table and handed Porco and Reiner their yellow armbands. Reiner offered her a small smile, but she kept her expression neutral. Magath then spoke to everyone present:

"I present you, then, the new candidates!"

After that, everyone applauded the five chosen candidates. It was the happiest moment in Reiner's life.

*********

Reiner and Bertolt went back to the internment zone together, celebrating. A new life would begin for both of them, and they couldn't contain the happiness they felt. They passed the Galliard brothers, and Marcel went to congratulate them.

"I think that from now on we will see each other a lot more. Reiner, congratulations on being chosen."

"Ah!" Reiner said, blushing. He looked up to Marcel, and being congratulated by him was not something Reiner was expecting "Thank you. Congratulations to you too, Porco."

Even with a sullen expression, Porco also seemed extremely happy. He even smiled slightly at Reiner and Bertolt.

"... Yeah. I think we'll see you tomorrow, then..."

"Yeah." said Bertolt "See you tomorrow."

"See ya!"

They also went by Annie, who was returning home with her father. Mr. Leonhart recognized Reiner and noticed the yellow armband that was still in his hands.

"Annie..." he said a little disappointed "You didn't tell me that he was also trying to become a warrior."

Annie said nothing, but nodded to Reiner and Bertolt, who, surprisingly, got a little blush in his cheeks. Mr. Leonhart addressed Reiner.

"I think your mom will be proud" he looked at Bertolt "You, too... what's your name again?"

"Bertolt Hoover, sir."

"Yes... you both have my respect. We'll be going on our way, won't we, Annie?"

When the two reached the internment zone, Reiner said his goodbyes to Bertolt and ran off to show his mother his new armband. He flew through the ghetto streets, his heart pounding in his chest, a single goal in mind.

'Will my mother finally stop being sad? Will she be proud to have me as a son? Please! Let that be true! Please! Please!'

When he got home, his mother was in the kitchen. He came in screaming and promptly showed her his yellow armband.

"Mom! I was chosen to be a warrior candidate!"

Karina turned to him, her face full of surprise and emotion. She ran up to him, screaming and smiling, and hugged him with such happiness. It was the first time she had held him that way.

"Reiner! This is amazing! Now we are just one step away from becoming honorary marleyans!"

"Yes..." said Reiner, very touched "I promise you. I will inherit one of the nine titans!"

She took him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye, which, to Reiner, seemed to be full of pride. He was very pleased with himself for having managed to make his mother feel that way. For making her smile. He would do anything to make her happy. For his mother, he would fight until the end.


	7. Eldians

When Reiner left for HQ the next morning, he was already wearing his new yellow armband. People who saw him on the street, when they noticed the armband, congratulated him for becoming a candidate. Reiner felt good about being recognized for his efforts. Smiling and excited, he ran as fast as he could, with the wind blowing in his face and hair. A new stage in his life was finally beginning.

When he arrived at the HQ yard, the first thing he noticed was how empty it was. Of course it was, now there were only five warrior candidates. But... no. There were actually seven of them, right? The other two were yet to be introduced to him and the others. What were they like? Would they manage to become friends? Reiner entered the building, distracted, and noticed that there were a large number of marleyan officers in the place, all occupied with something. There were doctors, scientists, members of the army and even eldian professionals.

Although intrigued by the presence of so many different people in the building, Reiner was soon approached by a guard who guided him to an office room on the second floor. Bertolt, Annie, Marcel and Porco were already there, sitting on a sofa, with Magath just in front of them, organizing documents on his desk. Reiner quickly went to sit with them, where they silently waited for the commander's instructions. And he, without looking at them, said:

"Before you officially become warrior candidates and part of the marleyan army, we need to conduct some exams. From now on, your health will be monitored continuously so that we can assess whether or not you are suitable receptacles for one of the nine titans." he said as he stamped some random sheet of paper. He continued:

"We are going to take some pictures that will be archived for study, and you are going to take some documents for your legal guardians to sign at home. In the afternoon, you will be introduced to the other two candidates, Zeke Yeager and Pieck Finger. They are a little older that you, 15 and 10 years of age, respectively. You’ll all be introduced to the world together, as Marley’s new Warrior Unit "

And so the morning passed. Reiner was separated from the others, each conducted to do their own exams. They all went through several stages of testing, with many doctors and scientists surrounding them and asking for information, searching for different measures and results. They took several pictures, checked their pulse, vision, respiratory system, height, weight and blood.

The man who took Reiner's blood was an eldian doctor. After getting a sample, he placed it on a flattened glass plate, and then a marleyan officer, who was standing by in the room, took a small glass bottle with a transparent liquid from his bag. He took a syringe, drew a few drops of it, and left it on the table for the doctor to take. Reiner watched the whole process in silence, but in the end, couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Excuse me, sir." the doctor, who already had the syringe in his hand, stopped what he was doing to look at Reiner "What is this whole process for?"

The doctor seemed to assess whether he should respond or not. After a while, he shrugged and said:

"This is spinal fluid," he said, tapping the syringe with his knuckles. "It's what we use to turn eldians into titans. If we inject this liquid into our body, we will become one of those monsters. So, before you become a warrior, or a candidate, if you prefer, we have to make sure that you are really eldian. Personally, I don't think anyone would be crazy enough to pretend to be one of us, but you can never know. And to find out, we just need to put a few drops of the fluid in your blood."

The doctor poured the contents of the syringe onto the glass plate with Reiner's blood. At the same moment, the liquid started to evaporate, but that wasn't the most impressive thing. Reiner's blood, in the place where the drops had fallen, began to emit some sparks and started to shine. Reiner's eyes widened, impressed and almost unbelieving. The doctor smiled wryly, while marleyan officer wrote something on a clipboard and left the room without saying anything.

"Congratulations" said the doctor "It seems you really are eldian."

Reiner was very surprised about what he had seen. It looked like witchcraft! Magic! And it was so beautiful to see the blood shining like that! He couldn't stop smiling!

"So" he said "is this how we are going to become titans? They'll just give us this serum and we will become warriors?"

The doctor seemed to be a little surprised, but soon he regained his cold demeanor. He said, calmly:

"If you get only that fluid, you'll become one of those stupid titans. They're just mindless monsters that eat anyone who passes in front of them. That's what they use as punishment for rebellious eldians. As torture and as an exemple for the rest of us. To become one of the Nine Titans, you'll have to become one of those monsters, and then eat your predecessor. "

Reiner was no longer smiling.

*********

At lunch, Reiner didn't have much of an appetite. He was sitting with Bertolt, Porco, Marcel and Annie in the dining hall, and they ate together after finising the examinations. They chatted about their results, but Reiner had too much on his mind to participate in the conversation. He just nibbled his ham sandwich while the others talked.

"You all saw it, didn't you?" asked Porco, lively "The blood shone! It sparked! I have never seen anything so cool in my entire life! It looked like magic!"

"It seemed like that transparent bottle was very important, too." commented Bertolt "The marleyan officers didn't even let the doctors touch them..."

"Probably a safety measure. If that's spinal fluid, then it's not worth leaving it with eldians. Just imagine if some doctor goes crazy and applies it to themselfs? It would be a mess, to say the least." said Marcel.

"But is it really spinal fluid? Like, from a person's spine? How the heck do they get that out of a titan? When they're asleep, pehaps?" asked Porco.

"They probably take it from one of the warriors. But I don't know if they have to be in their human or titan form" comments Annie.

"Oh, yeah! That makes a lot of sense, Annie," says Bertolt, pleased. Then he looks at Reiner and his face deforms with concern "Reiner, are you okay? You are so quiet today..."

Everyone looks at Reiner who, up to that point, had said nothing at all. He looks at the floor, suddently shy and not sure if he should tell them about what he had heard or not. Up to that point, he believed that there were two types of serum: one to become a hero, and another to become a monster. But today, he had discovered that it was always the same serum. They would become monsters after all. And, he tought, if others wanted to become warriors, they had the right to know it too. He says:

"We're going to have to eat the warriors to become titans."

The others stared at him, without reaction. They exchange looks, all of them unconfortable. None of them seemed to have believed in what Reiner had said.

"Lies." says Porco, roughly, as he continued to eat "Where did you get that one from now? You have to stop being such an idiot and saying this dumb things."

Reiner blushes and his eyes fill with tears. He didn't like not being heard, much less made fun of. He gets up angrily and starts talking louder and louder.

"It's true!" he says "That's what the doctor said to me! He said that we are all going to become man-eating monsters!"

"No, we are going to take the serum and we are going to become heroes" said Porco "Do you want to stop inventing these things? You're taking my appetite."

Tears started to flow down Reiner's face. What was Porco's problem? Why did he think he was so superior? So much better than Reiner? Was it so hard to hear what he had to say?

"Why don't you ever listen to me?" he shouts "We are going to be turned into titans and we are going to eat people! I don't want to eat anyone! I don't want to kill-"

"Hello!" a black-haired girl, older and taller than Reiner put her hands on his shoulders, in an engaging gesture that makes him shut up immediately "Be quiet now, can you? Do you want to become a warrior or nor?" she says in his ear.

"Wuh?" Reiner said, surprised and confused. The girl smiled at him, and he wasn't sure about what to do. She had a tired expression, but she looked honest. She swiftly moved away from Reiner and went to the other side of the table.

"Can I sit with you?" she asked, but was already putting her things on the table and taking her lunch out of her bag. All of them looked at her with surprise. She also wore a yellow armband. They continued to eat, waiting for the mood to cool down. After a few minutes, she said:

"My name is Pieck Finger. I am a warrior candidate, just like you. It's a pleasure to finally meet you" she smiled at them, charming. They all introduced themselves next. After calmly hearing all of them, she continued:

"Zeke's still working out some things with the commander, but soon he'll be here. He's the oldest among us, and so he's our leader. Try your hardest to follow what he says, ok?"

Everyone nodded, including Reiner, who was wiping his teary eyes. Pieck looked at him and, seeing the frightened expression on his face, her own saddened. She sighed, and said, seriously:

"I know this is all very sudden for you. When you become a candidate, everything changes, and it's scary. I know that. I've also been in your place. But you need to be very careful about what you say" she says, and shows with her eyes some marleyan officers who were close to their table "If you've come this far, you'll not want to miss your chance because of a slip, will you? Even if it's due to something frightening."

Everyone looked astonished. They exchanged looks, as if they were afraid of what they might ask. Afraid to find out the truth. Marcel glanced at Reiner, and dared to ask the question that was on everyone's mind.

"We..." he swallowed hard "are we really going to have to eat our predecessors?"

Pieck nodded.

"But don't worry. When that happens, it will be as carefully as possible. They will be sedated. Asleep. And they already know that this will happen, so if you think about it, you won't be killing anyone. It's all part of the military protocol" she looked at Reiner specifically" You're not going to become monsters."

He sniffed and tried to calm himself. Hearing what Pieck had to say really helped to ease his mind. Even though he still wasn't completely sure about becoming a man-eating titan, he knew he had to show that he was a reliable candidate to achieve his dream. The consequences didn't matter. He looked at Pieck again. She seemed to be a nice person. And trustworthy. It looked like he could ask her questions without fear.

"... Pieck?"

"Yes, Reiner?"

He wasn't sure if he wanted to know or not, but the doctor's words were still ringing in his mind.

"Is it true that they turn eldians into titans as punishment?"

Before this day, he thought that Paradis, the place they sent the evil eldians from the continent, was a type of prison where you would became a devil, like like the eldians inside the wall. Purposefully turning these people into titans seemed... too cruel.

Pieck opened her mouth to reply, but quickly looked behind her back and spoke to them, whispering:

"Don't mention any of that now. I'll explain everything to you later."

Right after she said that, a tall blond boy arrived at their table. He also had the yellow armband, and he had basically all of his attention on a bunch of papers that were on his hands. When he looked at them at the table, he exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh, Pieck! Have you introduced yourself to the other candidates? Oh, why am I surprised? You are the most efficient of us all..."

He looked at them quickly and distantly, then immediately turned his attention back to the papers.

"We'll have a long time to get to know each other better, but, anyway, my name is Zeke Yeager and I'll be the leader of our unit. Unfortunately, I'll not be able to sit with you right now, as I have to organize the hour and place of our introduction to the public with commander Magath. For now, Pieck will take the lead and clear up any doubts you may have. Pieck, when it's time to leave, I'll get to you. "

"Okay, Zeke."

After that, he said goodbye and went to the commander's office.

They were all quiet for a few moments, when Marcel commented:

"Zeke Yeager... I think I've heard the name before..."

Pieck nodded.

"That's what I wanted to tell you before he arrived," she said thoughtfully. "I think it's for best that you all know Zeke's story at once, but promise me that you'll not speak anything stupid around him."

She then told them about the Restorationists Movement in which Zeke's parents participated, and how he had reported them, showing his loyalty to Marley. They were all impressed by the story. Reiner had actually heard about the boy who had given his parents over to the government right before he was born, but he had no idea that this boy was their new leader. He didn't believid he could do the same. Condemn a member of your own family for loyalty. If Zeke was capable of even that, then there was nothing he wouldn't do for Marley.

"And what happened to his family?" asked Porco, pale.

"All the members of the movement were sent to Paradis," replied Pieck, and Porco looked like he wanted to throw up. Marcel and Annie also looked disgusted, but kept it to themselfs. Bertolt had his eyes closed, as if he already knew this story.

"The devil's island? Why did they take them there?" asked Reiner, surprised.

"They are turned into pure titans. That's why you don't have to worry. This is the only time that Marley turns eldians into titans as punishment. I promise you, this won't happen to any of us."

*********

After they finished lunch, Pieck guided them all to the outside of the building, where Magath and Zeke were waiting for them next to a carriage. They all got inside and were taken to the center of Liberio, where they went up on stage. Then, they stood in line, side by side, and several pictures were taken, and behind them several marleyan officers stood in guard, as did Mrs. Fassbinder and another man with glasses, who also wore a red armband.

Commander Magath was ahead of them and announced to the public the formation of Marley's new Warrior Unit. There were several journalists in place, and that announcement would be broadcast throughout Marley. Now it was official.

The new training was about to begin.


End file.
